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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26253022">Pull Of The Tides</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbyloves/pseuds/bbyloves'>bbyloves</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yours Like The Moonlight [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Kozume Kenma is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Time Skip, angst-ish??</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:14:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26253022</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbyloves/pseuds/bbyloves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a night of drinking, Kenma gets jealous. Kuroo decides they should finally come clean about their feelings.</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>"Kuroo Tetsuro has the patience of a monk and Kozume Kenma has a hard time talking about his feelings"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyo/Kozume Kenma (mentioned), Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yours Like The Moonlight [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Drowning In Devotion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>welcome to 20 minutes of me trying to decide if its "Tetsuro" or "Tetsurou" and ending up of going with both! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The relationship dynamic between Kuroo and Kenma is very much like waves in the sea. They come and go, in cycles, always ending up at each other's shore somehow. Kuroo has watched Kenma's interest in others, but rather than feeling threatened, jealous, all he could bring himself to feel was that burning flame -- the knowledge that no matter who Kenma went to, he'd always come back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were each other's home, after all. That was enough for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Kozume never quite knew how to respond when he saw Kuroo with his other lovers. They didn't have any spoken rules, they weren't </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> together like that, so when his heart was filled with green envy at the sight of Tetsurou's lips on someone else's (envy because Kenma was never really brave enough to press their lips together like his heart desired), it was hard to justify </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he felt that way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Deep down, he knew. He knew the reason seeing Kuroo with someone else bothered him so much; it was sticky, messy, yucky </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the type that doesn't pop like fireworks like he felt for Hinata, but that burns like a small flame in the pit of his chest. Yet Tetsurou wasn't his to claim, and he didn't feel he had the words in him to say it, to ask Kuro to just be his and no one else's. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kenma sat at their table, quietly sipping his drink whilst the sounds of the bar surrounded him. It was a nekoma reunion Kuroo had dragged him to. Beside him, Kai and Yaku chatted, and Lev seemed to want to catch his attention, but Kozume's eyes were glued to Tetsuro on the other side of the bar. He was flirting with some girl, drink in hand; Kenma felt himself become sour. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could avert his eyes and swear up and down he never saw the scene in the first place, Kuroo looked right at him, that stupid grin he always wore on his face, raising his drink slightly as if saying hey. Kozume felt his heart flutter, the mix of butterflies and acid rain both in his stomach. Still, it was hard to ignore the small hand that was gripping his arm and the pretty cherry lips that were smiling up at Tetsuro, even if his attention was actually focused on Kenma.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took another sip from his cup and felt the alcohol burn down his throat. It would be a long night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Pudding Head, let’s get you home,” the voice sounded distant, but some still functioning part of Kozume’s brain knew it was coming from the man sitting beside him. As he looked to the side, Kuroo had a half amused half worried expression on his face; it wasn’t often that world famous Kodzuken got drunk. He let out a chest full of giggles before actually responding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, but I thought you’d be taking blondie over there home with you,” Kenma pointed at the woman sitting across from them, giggling still, but Tetsuro could feel the venom in his words. “wouldn’t want your night of flirting to go to waste, huh, Tetsu-chan?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kuroo’s expression went from amused to sour in a matter of seconds. Kozume had a tendency to say exactly what was on his mind while drunk, perhaps as a way of making up for all the times in his life where he chose to keep quiet. And it was like he knew exactly what buttons to push, too. But Tetsuro tried to keep his cool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kenma, you’re drunk,” he said, matter of factly. “I’m not gonna abandon you in the middle of the night, now get up, get you stuff, we’re going home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“no, no, Tetsu-chan,” Kozume hiccuped, “you have better company, I’ll walk myself home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This little bi--, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kuro thought, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. It wasn’t like they hadn’t had this conversation a thousand times before; with the alcohol came the jealousy that Kenma couldn’t seem to control, and Tetsuro was left to deal with the damage the daggers Kozume used for words caused on everyone around them. It was the price they had to pay for the game they played, and sometimes Kuroo wondered if it was worth it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The drunk version of his best friend and first love (</span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>love, if he were being honest) pursed his lips around the metal straw, looking up at Tetsurou with big, cat-like eyes. Kuro knew Kenma was aware of exactly he was doing, pushing his buttons as a way to mark his territory. Had they been in any other situation, at any other time, Tetsurou would’ve been amused; but right now his skin was sticky with sweat, his head was beginning to pound after one too many drinks, so he just felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>annoyed.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kuroo made sure to apologize to the woman beside them. She was nice, even if he didn’t really plan on taking her home that night, and understanding, even. Just waving off Kozume’s rudeness as him being a rude drunk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, all you could hear was Kenma’s shrieking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Put me </span>
  <em>
    <span>down, </span>
  </em>
  <span>you ogre!” The smaller man said, as Kuro threw him over his shoulder. Tetsu chuckled, a smirk painting his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you we were going home, pudding head.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kodzuken squirmed around, but Kuroo kept a death grip on him as he walked. They attracted a few stares, but it was late at night and it wasn’t like the drunks at the bar really cared. As they made their way down the street, a small drizzle filled the air, making the neon lights around them look hazy; all Kuro could hear was the sound of the cars speeding down the road, and Kenma’s muttering something about how embarrassing it was to be carried home like this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, they made it to Kozume’s apartment. By the time they got there, the blond boy was already fast asleep, a peaceful expression on his face. Tetsurou did his best to put him down gently onto the spacious bed, as to not wake Kenma from his sleep; the flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips made him look innocent, almost making Kuroo forget his words at the bar. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Almost. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made his way to the bathroom, tripping over some merch boxes and streaming equipment. Washing his face and brushing his teeth were automatic actions, his thoughts wandering to all the times things like this happened in between them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was that time he got jealous over Kenma’s crush oh Hinata (It only happened once, and he got over himself pretty quickly, but Kenma gave him the silent treatment for a week), and the time Kozume almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>berated </span>
  </em>
  <span>him for making out with a girl in the club room. Other instances included a few tears, a half dozen “</span>
  <em>
    <span>i fucked up”</span>
  </em>
  <span>s, and a couple of apologies that weren’t said, but acknowledged through a swap of freshly baked apple pie and a promise to rewatch a few volleyball matches. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if those didn’t seem serious enough, Kuroo could tell the tension between then arising each time one of their </span>
  <em>
    <span>situations </span>
  </em>
  <span>went down. And they’ve been going on for their entire lives, so at this point it was only a matter of time before one of them broke down completely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slipping into his pajama pants (he had his own drawer at Kodzuken’s place, thank you very much), he looked at all the space left on the king size bed. Kenma naturally curled himself into a ball, barely occupying half of the left side of the bed. Usually, Kuroo would take the right side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That night, Tetsurou slept on the couch instead. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Deep Like An Ocean</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Awwww look at the gays! they are sad!!!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i promise it gets cute in the end lol Also: i'm posting this on mobile, so let me know if there are any errors with the format etc etc</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kenma woke up with pounding in his head and regret inside his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sunlight filtered through his window, soft and bouncing off his white walls, and the brightness made him wince. The open curtains were probably the work of Kuroo; Kenma always had them closed, he found it made his room feel cozier. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was surprised not to find Tetsurou laying by his side when he turned to complain. They always shared the bed. But as his actions from the previous night came back to the forefront of his thoughts, he groaned, head falling back onto the pillows. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>God, did you have to be like that?</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, guilt filling up his chest and blush tinting his cheeks. Kozume wished he could be one of those drunks who forgot everything they did while intoxicated, but he wasn't. The details of last night came flooding through his mind, the jealousy and sharpness of his tongue, the venom infused words. He wondered why Kuro didn't just leave him there, he certainly would have done that if the roles were reversed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(He wouldn't. He is a pussy, but he loves Tetsu and would never let anything bad happen to him) </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as his train of thought started to descend into despair territory, his stomach growled, so Kenma decided to put a raincheck on the overthinking he had to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he walked out of his room, Kozume heard the soft humming coming from the kitchen. His head was still pounding, an inevitable headache forming itself after a night of drinking, but he still found appreciation for the sound within himself. It wasn't often he got to hear Kuroo's singing voice, so he filled down the tune in his heart before going into the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silently, he sat down at the small dining table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So," Kuroo turned around, frying pan in hand. Of course he'd noticed when Kenma got out of the bedroom. "Are we going to talk about last night?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond flinched, </span>
  <em>
    <span>huh, at least now i know my fight or flight response is working</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His only response was to lower his head in shame, a slight blush creeping up to his cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let me rephrase that, then," Kenma raised his head again, this time finding Kuro with that soft smile, the one he used to turn down girls when they were in highschool. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yikes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. "Are we gonna talk about us?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, his head was spinning and his heart sank. Anxiety filled up his body, a perfect substitute for the blood in his veins. Kozume wasn't good at expressing his feelings, and he didn't see why they needed to have that talk. Everything was fine between them, right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except it wasn't. Except he knew exactly why talking about it was a necessity at this point. Gone were the days where their (</span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span>) petty jealousy was only brought forward by rushed love confessions from another. They were adults now, and relationships got more and more complex with age. And even when his lips were on someone else's (Hinata or whomever), every beat of his heart and every thought in his head seemed to say </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tetsu, Tetsu, Tetsu</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't scrunch your nose at me," Kenma hadn't even realized he'd made a face until Kuroo pointed it out. Once again, he lowered his gaze in embarrassment. "If you're not gonna say anything then I will," All the anxiety he was feeling was partially replaced by a small amount of relief. "But only to give you some time to think about what you have to say." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't think it's a secret I have feelings for you. In fact, I don't think it ever has been. You've been by my side for most of my life and god, for the entire time i've been </span>
  <em>
    <span>so in love with you</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Kuro took a breath. He looked as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "And really, Kenma, I never expected you to return the feelings. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> don't expect you to return the feelings. But we've been playing this game of cat and mouse for a while and it gets more frustrating every time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kenma blushed harder. There was a knot in his throat, and he felt his chest so heavy, it was hard to breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I--" a deep breath. "Kenma, I don't mind if you wanna see other people. I really don't. Sometimes it breaks my heart a little bit, like it did when you were with chibi-chan, but it's ok, I can take it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were tears forming in Kozume's eyes now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What I can't take is what you did last night. I know i don't get jealous often," He didn't get jealous at all. "But it still feels unfair to me that you get to bitch about who keeps me company while I have to take whatever relationship you throw my way." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kenma was trying really hard not to cry now. He really was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not asking you to drop all your romantic endeavors to be with me, even though I would love that. I'm just asking for space, if you could give it to me. that's all." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only when a small sob came out of his mouth that Kodzuken realized he was already crying. The tears made wet paths down his soft cheeks, his mouth was agape, sometimes letting out soft sobs and whines. At any other time, he'd feel embarrassed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right now, he just felt guilty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt strong arms embrace him, a scent that could only be described as Kuroo's surrounding him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I- </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm so sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pudding head, you don't have to say you're sorry"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he was, and the only thing he seemed to be able to do now was to cry. It was like he was finally overfilled with feelings and because the words didn't come out, tears did instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After what were probably minutes but felt like hours, Kenma finally felt himself get the strength to say something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry," Kuroo started to open his mouth to reassure him again, but for the first time in all their years it was the blond who spoke first. "I-- I'm not crying as a way to trip you into pitying me. It's just-- It was just too much. My feelings are too much sometimes." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tetsurou nodded, still rubbing soothing circles on his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry if this was too much for you, I just needed to say it out loud. I thought about it all night"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Kenma's turn to nod. They stayed in silence for another moment, until that knot in Kozume's throat diminished enough that he could talk without the words dying in his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have feelings for you," his voice was soft, as if he were scared that it wouldn't come out otherwise. "I've always had. They are a lot sometimes. Most times, actually." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not because they are super intense, but because they are always there. Everyone else I've been with, it never feels like what I feel for you; I like them, a lot." Kuroo notices there's a lot more confidence in his words now. "But you're the only one I can't imagine living life without. As friends or as something else..." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I get excited to meet someone who piques my interest. It's like figuring out a new game. You're the one who feels like a classic, though"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So I'm your romantic Super Smash Bros?" Tetsurou says, with a smile. He had been smiling from the moment Kenma opened his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"More like my Final Fantasy V," Kenma scrunched his nose again. Talking was coming more easily now, "I feel bad when I see you with someone else. It's like they're gonna take you away from me and I won't be able to see you ever again, so I just get mean, because that's how I get when things don't go my way, I guess." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a deep breath, much like the one Kuroo did moments before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you want to continue with this thing we do I will give you the space you need" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tetsurou smiled once again, although not as bright as when Kenma started his little confession. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know it's not what you asked, but I'd drop everything," Tetsu's eyes widened. Kozume started to feel his cheeks grow warm for the tenth time that morning. "I'd drop everything if it meant you'd be with me." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The expression on Kuro's face could only be described as giddy. Still, he made sure to ask "Are you sure?", to which Kodzuken nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kitten, that's so much more than--" Kuroo found that those words were too much and not enough at the same time. "This is so--" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"yes?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I kiss you right now?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before. They were each other's first kiss, and had kissed a couple of times during high school, but at that moment it felt surreal. Kenma's answer was given when he placed his soft lips against Kuro's. He felt the man's hands hold his face, kissing him gently, as if trying to show his adoration through that. And, oh gods, did Kenma want to be adored.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt sweet and tasted salty from both of their tears; Kozume's hands were tangled on Tetsu's bedhead hair, and when they parted their lips were pink and slightly swollen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tetsuro nuzzled him and smiled and felt like his heart was gonna give out at any moment, beating as fast as it was. Kenma couldn't say he felt any different. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> So when Kuroo asked if he wanted to be his, all he could say was:</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I've always been yours."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So!!! that was it!!!!! I'm hoping to add another work to the series soon, so make sure to keep an eye out for that :) hope you guys enjoyed it!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'll be posting the second chapter soon, don't worry about it I just gotta edit it :) see you guys next time!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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